Horse-detacher.



No. 698,577. Patented Apr. 29, |902.

E. B. STEARNS.

HORSE DETACHER.

{Application led Apr. 13, 1901.1

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" UNITED STATES? PATENT Grinch-3.l

EDMOND B. STEARNS, OF ELDORADO, KANSAS.

HoRsE-DETAoHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 698,577, dated April 29, 1902.

Application filed April 13, 1901. Serial No. 55,756. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t nur/y concern:

Beit known that I, EDMOND B. STEARNs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Eldorado, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Horse-Detachers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates `to horse-detachers, the object being to provide simple and easilyoperated means whereby a horse may be quickly detached from the thills and vehicle for the purpose of preventing serious accident to the occupants of a vehicle in case the horse runs away or becomes unmanageable.

With the above general object in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the horse-detaching device shown applied to a thill and looking toward the inside of the thill. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the same. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the hitch-plate and slide-loop. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of a portion of a thill, showing the iianged collar thereon.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all gures of the drawings.

The horse-detaching device contemplated in this invention 4is adapted to be applied to any harness and is in the nature of an attachment.

In carrying out the invention I provide a pair of flanged collars or ferrules 1, onefor each thill, which are placed around the thills or shaft members 2 and ixedly secured thereon in any convenient manner. Each of said collars is provided at its opposite ends with" the peripheral flanges 3, between which is'received a sleeve 4, the said sleeveencircling the collar 1 and being prevented from movj ing longitudinally on the thillby means of the retaining-flanges 3. Each of the sleeves 4 comprises a pair of semicircular sections, which are hinged `together at their inner side by means of a hinge-pin 5 and provided at their outer sides with a keeper-pin 6, which normally holds the sleeve-sections together and in engagement with the collar 1, as shown In 2.' i

7 and 8 are th'e interiitting knuckles for the hinge-pin 5 and keeper-pin 6, respectively. Said pin 6 is split in the form of a cotterpin, as shown at 9, to provide spring terminal portions which serve to hold the pin in `place in the knuckles 8 and prevent its accidental escape. The pin 6 is further provided at its opposite end with an eye 10, to which is connected a controlling-cord 11, passed through an eye 11a on the thill and adapted to extend backward within reach of the driver, who may operate the cord for withdrawing the pin 6 when it becomes necessary to detach the animal from the vehicle.

' Associated with the sleeve 4 is whatI term a hitch-plate 12, provided at top and bottom with loops 13 and 14 for the reception of the back-band 15 and girth-strap 16, as illustrated in the drawings. The hitch-plate is further provided with the oppositely-located parallel ears 17, having openings 18 for the reception of the pin 5, which thereby connects the hitch-plate 12 to the sleeve 4. The ears 17 are provided with the oppositely -located notches 19 to slidingly receive the side bars 2O of a slide-loop 21, one end of which is expanded to receive the extended side portions 22 of the breast-strap of the harness. The terminal portions of the slide-loop 21 are provided with registering eyes 23 to receive the pin 5, and a cushioning-spring 24 is disposed around the pin 5 and interposed between the inner eye 23 and the adjacent ear 17 ofthe hitch-loop, said spring serving by its tension to draw the slide-loop backward and cushion the movements of the animal, thus absorbare placed the springs 24, which give a free and easy action to the shoulders of the horse. Should the horse run away or become unmanageable, the occupant of the vehicle, by

ion

pulling on the connections l1, may easily withdraw the pins 6, whichwill disconnect the sleeves from the ferrules on the thills and release the animal.

I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction hereinabove set forth, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A horse-detacher comprising a sleeve formed in sections adapted to embrace a thill, a hitch-plate having means whereby it is connected to the harness,-a hinge-pin connecting the 4inner sides of' the sections together and to the'hitch-plate, a keeper-pinV connect-ingl theouter sidesof the sections together, and means for withdrawing the-keeper-p'in.

2.l A horse-detacher comprisin-ga sleeve formedin sectionsadapted-to embrace a thill, a hitch-plate havi-ngmeanswherebyit is connected to theharness-andprovided with parallel ears` projecting toward the sleeve, a hinge-pin extending through-the ears and connecting the inner sides of the sections to= gether, a-keeper-pin connecting the outer sides of` the secti'onsetogether, and means for withdrawing`the-keeperpin.

3. AV horse-detacher comprising a sleeve formed-in sectionsadaptedto embracea thill, ahitch-plata for-med withv top and bottom loops `for the-rec'eptionot the back-band,and girthfstrap respectively,v andv with parallelv earslprojectingtoward the-sleeve, a hinge-pinextending throughv the ears'and connectingv adapted to embrace a thill, a hitch-plate hinged to the sleeve, and provided with ears having notches, a slide-loop having its side bars in engagementwith'thevnotched ears, and adapted to be connected to thebreaststrap, and a-cushioningsprin'g iterposed'betweenv one end of the slideloop'and'the `hitchplate.

6; A horsefdetacher comp-rising a sleeveadapted to embrace athill, ahitch-plate having means whereby'it is connected-to the'harness, a slide-looprk having.; eyes `and-mounted on th'elhitch-plate andhavingmeans whereby it isconnectedwithlthe breastfstrap, a hingepin-passed thronghthe eyes'ofk the slide-'loopVY and connecting the hitch-plate withthe sleeve; acushioningfspring enci'rcli'n'gthe hingepin and interposed between the eyes and" the hitch-plate anda detachablejk'eeper-pin:`

In testimony whereof I affix my*l signature in presence-of two witnesses.

EDMOND B. STEARNS: Witnesses:

W. Mz REEs, V. P. MooNEY. 

